Salamander and the Naked Prince
by Dawn Rune
Summary: AU. Every maiden in the land is called forth to attend his highness Prince Gray's ball. Now, this shouldn't have anything to do with Natsu, an orphan that lives and hunts on the outskirts of the kingdom, but when he should chance to meet this dashing ice prince then everything regarding Gray suddenly becomes his business.
1. Carriage Crash of Splendor

**Title:** Salamander and the Naked Prince

**Author:** Risa

**Pairings**: Natsu/Gray, Gazille/Levy, Erza/Jellal, Lyon/Juvia, possibly others

**Rated:** T

**Disclaimer:** My job sucks, therefore I'm not Mashima.

**Summary:** Every maiden in the land is called forth to attend his highness Prince Gray's ball. Now, this shouldn't have anything to do with Natsu, an orphan that lives and hunts on the outskirts of the kingdom, but when he should chance to meet this dashing ice prince then everything regarding Gray suddenly becomes his business.

**A/N:** You know what's better than a good fairy tale? A good Fairy Tail fairy tale. With lots of hot, naked, ripped male bodies rubbing against one another. Dohohohoho. Enjoy!

**ONE:** Carriage Crash of Splendor

There once was a house on the fringe of the great Magnolia Kingdom, and in that house lived three orphan children. They were orphaned in theory only, as they each claimed to have been raised by dragons at one point in their lives. These three children, Natsu, Gazille, and Wendy came to live and work together at some point for reasons unknown, because life on the hill was chaotic if anything. Natsu and Gazille, two testy teenage boys, often fought amongst themselves with only little Wendy to mediate their wild tantrums. Without her, the two would have probably wrecked the town and each other by now.

Nevertheless, the three found it easy to live in relative comfort, given that their respective skills combined paid the taxes and brought food to the table. Gazille was a blacksmith apprentice, though lately he had been getting even more commissions than his master given his natural knack for metal work. Natsu hunted, and brought lots of game into his home and any excess into town which he exchanged for grain, vegetables, cheeses, and medicines. Speaking of which, Wendy was trained in the art of medicine, so worked as a private doctor within their cozy home. There were always people coming in and going out with varying degrees of illness and injury. Sometimes people even died there, so often Natsu and Gazille had to take their feud elsewhere, or Wendy wouldn't tend to their own bites, burns, bruises, indigestion, and other discomforts. Not that it mattered anyway, for they often had too much pride to rely on her anyway.

Natsu was content to live with them. After all, life could certainly be more uncomfortable, as it was for the children who lived on the street. He often slipped them bread and fish. His best friend, a flying cat named Happy, complained when the fish was gone, but Natsu was always glad to go find more. More than anything he loved fresh air and the outdoors.

Well, almost more than anything. What he actually loved the most was companionship. Save from Happy, he didn't get too much of that at home, considering that Wendy was always busy tending to the needy, and he didn't get to squabble with Gazille as often as he wanted to. Sometimes a good fist fight was the way to show that he cared. It wasn't something that made sense to a lot of people, but Natsu was a very active sort of person that was always up for a good fight. It got the blood flowing.

Now, if Natsu ever wanted a fight then all he had to do was walk into the butcher shop. He sometimes offered his game to Elfman, the owner, for a price that always made him angry regardless of how high or low it was. He would often shout various things about what it takes to be manly, though Natsu often didn't understand, nor care about anything the crazy man had to say. He'd just drop his stick of dead rabbits on the table, pocket his jewels, and flex his muscles, provoking Elfman. It was always enough to get the owner to crawl out from behind the table and start swinging his fists. Usually Natsu's speed and cunning outdid Elfman's beastly blows, but he was caught off guard one day, and was sent flying clear out the door.

On this particular day, his royal highness Prince Gray was being escorted through town on a carriage for the sake of patrol and a little fresh air. The cart's cabby was none other than his most loyal body guard, Erza Scarlet, whom he had insisted was guard enough, though his father often encouraged him to take more. And truly she was enough, because there wasn't much in this land, nor the ones surrounding it _combined_ that could match her strength.

Now this wasn't the first time Natsu had ever flown through the butcher shop's door. It also wasn't the first time he had ever flown through the butcher shop's door and into a horse drawn carriage, which was always a disaster. This was, however, the first time he had ever flown into the carriage of the crown prince himself, though he hadn't realized it at first. Because the carriage was in motion still, Natsu was overcome with an intense wave of painful illness. He could barely make it to the window in time to vomit hysterically. All the while Prince Gray sat, observing this debacle as though it were the most absurd and barbaric thing he had ever witnessed in all of his eighteen years.

"The fuck?!" he said.

"It... stopped," said Natsu, once Erza drew the carriage to a halt. He wiped his mouth with the back of his arm and turned to face Gray. At once his eyes flew open and his jaw dropped at what he was witnessing.

"Yes, vomitus dreck? Never seen a prince before?" said Gray with a proud smirk on his face.

Natsu pointed at the smug prince and bellowed, "Put some clothes on, you pervert!"

Gray gazed down to find himself in nothing but his undergarments. He let out a yelp, and tried to recover his dignity with some sort of retort. Erza rendered such efforts unnecessary, because no sooner had Natsu shouted did her metallic hand shoot from the front of the carriage to grab a hold of this strange boy's scarf. When her ferocious gaze was finally in view all of the color had drained from Natsu's face. There was no man, woman, or creature in the land who could stand up to the wrath and will of Erza Scarlet. It was why the king appointed her to the constant surveillance and guardship of his reckless, foolish son.

"How dare you disturb the prince?" she said, and it was all Natsu could do to keep his bowels and bladder from exploding in pure terror. He had faced monsters as high as mountains, or so it seemed, and they seemed like ants compared to this woman. All of the kingdom's most exciting tales revolved around her, from single-handedly taking down an entire army, to smashing down enemy fortresses with her bare fists. Though these stories were dubious at best, Erza's presence commanded so much respect that her many legends could very well be true.

"Oye, Erza. Calm down. I can take care of myself," said Gray. Natsu got a peak at him from the corner of his eye, and if he didn't know any better he'd swear that the prince seemed to be pouting. This must be the only person in the world that could possibly be bored of Erza's antics, or perhaps he was jealous. Being a pompous prince obviously didn't lend itself well to ass kicking and such, though there was definitely some fight behind muscles like those. Natsu was curious to see if the prince was truly capable of holding his own.

"How can you fight when you can't even dress yourself?" said Natsu with a guffaw. Just one guffaw, because Erza yanked his scarf and his breath was cut off. She only relieved the grip once his face started turning purple.

"You want a fight, you pointy-eyed little maggot?"

Gray pressed his right fist against the palm of his left hand, and suddenly the air in the carriage had gone frigid. It was all Natsu needed to literally fire up his own balled fists, and he elbowed himself away from Erza, much to her surprise. Gray ordered her to keep out of it as he formed an enormous broad sword entirely out of ice. This was one of the two the legendary ice princes of the Magnolia Kingdom, though seeing his magic was a rare treat that only those of high honor got to witness. Not to mention his brother General Lyon was an even more powerful ice mage, so the king saw him more fit to fight and Gray more fit to carry on the bloodline.

Little did Natsu know that he was about to commit high treason by fighting Prince Gray. It didn't matter to him anyway, because the moment that sword went for his neck Natsu blew fire upon it, propelling him through the roof of the carriage. Gray hopped out of the roof in pursuit of his target, and the two would have had yet another explosive crash if Erza hadn't grabbed them each by the head and slammed them both chin first into the ground.

"That's enough!" she said, aware that she had somewhat overstepped her boundaries, but the king would forgive her. If not for her intervention, things would have gotten worse. Much worse.

All of the commotion startled the horses into plunging blindly through the town, another problem Erza would have to attend to. Many onlookers gasped and murmured over the sight that befell them. Their prince was battered and mostly naked. Some fiery oaf had challenged him. Then there was Erza, who bowed and apologized to the owners of the fruit stand that her horses had trampled in their fear. At least no one was hurt.

"Get out of here before the uproar. We'll finish this tonight," Gray whispered. "At the east side of the Fairy Lake. Show up, if you think you have what it takes."

"Yes!" Natsu grinned and pumped his fist. This was going to be even better than ramming Gazille's ugly head into the dirt. Thus began Natsu's fiery tale with the unclad prince.

TBC

**A/N:** Any Gladys readers tuning in? Just thought I'd start posting the chapters of this that I've got written. Hopefully this pile of cheese and silly tides you all over between Gladys updates, or perhaps satisfies you even more. The Internet needs so much more of this pairing, I swear to friggin' GAH! -shakes a fist- Also, don't forget to review! Authors love to know when they're loved, or hated. Whatever. XD


	2. Invitations All Around

**Title:** Salamander and the Naked Prince

**Author:** Risa

**Pairing:** Natsu/Gray, Gazille/Levy, Erza/Jellal, Lyon/Juvia, possibly others

**Rated:** T

**Disclaimer:** Fairy Tail is Mashima's and this is a bit of a Cinderella ripoff, but whatevs.

**Summary:** Every maiden in the land is called forth to attend his highness Prince Gray's ball. Now, this shouldn't have anything to do with Natsu, an orphan that lives and hunts on the outskirts of the kingdom, but when he should chance to meet this dashing ice prince then everything regarding Gray suddenly becomes his business.

**TWO:** Invitations All Around

Natsu returned to his humble abode not the least bit better for his outings, other than a perfectly violent tryst to be had with that bastard of an undressed prince that evening. When Gazille complained of a lack of food Natsu complied at once, grumbling down to the lake for some last minute fishing. He had every intention of catching the biggest fish he possibly could and slapping that moron in the face with it when he got back. Call it a warm up exercise if you will.

No sooner had Natsu emerged from the lake speckled with autumn leaves and the evening sun had a little bird called his name. It was a very familiar blue bird, the town's mail carrier by the name of Lisanna. She dropped her bag to the ground and morphed into her human state, having an easier time of finding the correct mail with her human fingers. She was a very nice girl, fond of everyone in town, and happened to be the sister of that butcher Natsu liked to pick fights with so much. Frankly Natsu preferred her company to Elfman's, even though he never picked fights with her, but sometimes a guy needs a break from all that. Call Lisanna his calm before the storm.

"I have a letter for Wendy. It's very important that she gets it," said Lisanna with a satisfied nod, then turned her attention toward the fish Natsu had that was almost as large as she was. "A light evening snack?"

"Something like that," said Natsu, and he grinned, and laughed, and laughed a little more. The look on Gazille's face would be completely amazing. He could practically taste the metal of that ridiculous punk's face protrusions in his dinner already. To dine on one moron's indignity before a scuffle with another made him positively giddy. He was tempted to shoo Lisanna away just so he could go make it happen right this minute, but she was a chatty sort, and he liked to think he had some manners for people who were OK.

"Oh yeah, I almost forgot. Elfbro told me that you got into a fight with Prince Gray and Erza Scarlet right outside of his shop. Can you believe such a story?"

"I'm going to kick both of their asses," said Natsu, his eyes practically on fire. "In fact, Prince Birthday Suit and I have a score to settle tonight. His face will be a royal purple with bruises by the time I'm done with him."

"Oh Natsu, don't be ridiculous. There's no quicker way to get you thrown in jail than by picking a fight with a member of the royal family," she blurted out hurriedly, with an embarrassed followup of, "A-as if such a silly story is true. There's no way someone like you is acquainted with the crown prince.

"But there's a chance that I might be! Every maiden in the land has been invited to the prince's ball one week from today so that he can choose a wife. He can literally have any woman he chooses in the kingdom. Why, it's possible that even I could be a-a princess! I'd say that's a definite promotion from carrier pigeon."

"I thought you liked your job," said Natsu with a confused pout. Every other bit of that little spiel was boring to him. Frankly if the prince couldn't even keep track of his pants what hope did he have of keeping track of his country? Also, Lisanna was going on about girly romance crap, which she wasn't as prone to as some other girls were, but she had her occasional slip ups, and this was definitely one of them. Prince Gray earned himself one good punch for this stupid gushing earful via Lisanna.

"I do like my job, but it's not like I want to be doing this forever. Life has so much more to offer than the same routine over and over." She stared into the sky for one silent moment, until it had occurred to her that the sun was setting. "Oh, well I'd better get going. No more time to chat!"

At once she turned back into a bird, scooped up the remainder of her daily delivery, and flew off to the next home. The letter addressed to Wendy probably had something to do with the crap Lisanna was blabbering about. It looked fancy, so it was likely from the palace. Like hell he'd let that perverted bastard take Wendy's hand in marriage. He'd burn down the whole palace before he ever let that happen. She was just a kid! A very grown up kid admittedly, but he still felt the need to protect her from such scum.

Even so, it was inherently wrong to tamper with the mail, and unlikely Wendy would be chosen for anything anyway, so he would give her the letter, smack Gazille in the face with a fish, proceed with his evening as planned, and damn if anyone or anything was going to get in the way of that.

* * *

It was dinner time in the royal castle, a family-exclusive occasion. Dinner was no longer the diplomatic forum it once was when Prince Gray frequented the table, for the crown prince had a habit of which neither doctor nor disciplinary could shake. He could be trained to use the correct utensils, sit with excellent posture, and chew his food in a polite and dignified manner, not that he did any of these while he was not in polite company. He was capable of grace and manners unmatched, and was considered one of the most dashing and eligible bachelors in all of the land.

But for that habit of his.

"Gray, I do wish you would put your clothes on, dear," said his mother Queen Ur. Now, only in the most extenuating of circumstances could she force her boy to remain clad, for she was touted as one of the most powerful ice mages in all of the world, and if she got quite irate Gray happened to value his life over his nudity. It was just enough that rumors of his habit remained as such, and any first hand accounts of seeing the crown prince's bare body were dismissed as silly, or considered disrespectful, or even treasonous. One woman was even thrown in jail over it, though Gray had her freed at once when he found out.

"Mother, Gray is but a stubborn fool," said his elder brother General Lyon, and he took an absolutely bored sip of wine from his goblet. "He's as brainless as he is leafless, and you would do well not to waste your good breath."

"Watch your mouth, shithead!" said Gray, lifting his eyes from his meal for the first time in ten whole minutes. Lyon's features were cut as sharp as the finest ice sculpture, so frozen was he that even his hair resembled ice in color and solid spike. Outside of his work his features were often in an unshaken state of boredom, occasionally cracked by amusement. He was favored to surpass their mother's mastery more than Gray was, though Gray refused to relent in his mage training. Being trained in magic was the only reason he was receptive to being trained in pomp and proper manners.

But for that habit. That habit that would surely cause Queen Ur to die young. The king's successor was addicted to streaking of all things, a habit that was impossible to hide under constant scrutiny. He did it unconsciously, and no amount of discipline could correct it. Though in a more public setting he might be more embarrassed with his current state of undress, among family he could not be bothered. Nor could he be bothered with manners, apparently.

"Gray! Language!" said the queen, beginning to abandon some of her own grace. She was much too soft in his childhood, and that could not even compare to how soft King Makarov was. Still is, in fact, for if Queen Ur's scolding, sometimes even combined with Erza Scarlet's, did not make Gray acquiesce then disrobed he would be, and that was all there was to it.

Even so, he was a powerful and extraordinary mage. He took her training very seriously, and maintained a constant goal of surpassing his older brother in strength. They were both ripe of marrying age, and the king and queen were apt to retire into the quietude of being former authorities, for once the prince was married he would be king, as that was simply the way of things. King Makarov often expressed his desire to retire, though the queen was content, for her joy of watching her two boys grow into fine young man filled her heart and made her life wonderful. Her love for Gray was boundless and unrivaled, and no unfortunate habits could shake that.

Though the fact still stood. The king of this country simply could not be seen trouncing about in his undergarments, or bare as the day he was born. It was unfathomable, and they were running out of time.

"Gray, you are to choose a wife in but a week, and your usual habits are unacceptable. You are slouching, your words are filthy, and you could not even be bothered to wear a single thread to the dinner table. Have you no shame?"

"What are you making me choose a wife for in the first place?" said Gray, slamming his open palm upon the solid mahogany table. "I have told you that I do not wish to marry. Yet you prattle about my habit daily when you will do nothing to respect a single wish of mine."

Lyon observed this spat impartially, as not a single concept risen was anything new to him. He sometimes chipped in to remind his dear brother that Lyon was already occupied with his military obligations and was unfit to rule the country. But having had this argument one million times before, Gray would retort that he was not unfit, but unwilling, which was true in part. Lyon did not wish to succeed their father. Unfortunately Gray did not wish to either, and was as strong in his convictions as his brother. But he was not as strong in magic, and that is why he could not win this argument not matter how many times he had it.

Gray also had never outright admitted that he was a homosexual, thus did not wish to marry a woman specifically. Lyon had his suspicions about this for reasons he would keep to himself, for he respected his dear brother's dignity more than Gray himself appeared to at times. Most times really. Though his heart went out to his brother in that possible area of his overall plight, the fact still stood that Lyon had neither plan, nor intention of succeeding their father at that present moment just because his little brother had, for lack of a better term, issues.

"Prince Gray, please listen to reason. We have had this discussion a million times. You must succeed the throne."

"That's not the part I have a problem with."

And with that, Gray walked out of the dining hall taking care to slam the door quite hard so that the echoes may chill the room with their malice. Lyon had to say, the grapes were simply divine this year, and a single goblet of wine simply would not do. Not for him, and certainly not for mother. He poured her another goblet before he poured his own, then had the audacity to grin.

"Tonight went rather well," he said.

"Oh do shut up," said the queen, pinching the bridge of her nose. She was in for one long and ugly week.

TBC

**A/N:** I would advise all readers of this fic to not think about anything that happens too hard. XD It's a total AU, even if I did keep the magic (because fuck yeah!) so just roll with it. Also, if anyone is annoyed that I use the spelling "Gazille" rather than "Gajeel" umm. Sorry? I'm not changing it. Such is the way of anime/manga fandoms, where the English spellings are many and varied due to conflicting translations. "Gazille" was the first spelling I saw and liked, like "Jellal" was the first spelling of that name that I saw. And despite what "official" spellings may be, I'm just gonna stick stubbornly to the ones I know and like.


	3. Scuffle at the Lake

**Title:** Salamander and the Naked Prince

**Author:** Risa

**Pairing:** Natsu/Gray, Gazille/Levy, Erza/Jellal, Lyon/Juvia, possibly others

**Rated:** T

**Disclaimer:** Fairy Tail is Mashima's and this is a bit of a Cinderella ripoff, but whatevs.

**Summary:** Every maiden in the land is called forth to attend his highness Prince Gray's ball. Now, this shouldn't have anything to do with Natsu, an orphan that lives and hunts on the outskirts of the kingdom, but when he should chance to meet this dashing ice prince then everything regarding Gray suddenly becomes his business.

**THREE:** Scuffle at the Lake

It was the twenty-second hour, long after the sun had fallen beyond the horizon, and Natsu had long since stormed off from his home in a belligerent huff. Not often did Wendy open her mouth to scold, but he and Gazille destroyed half of the kitchen over the fish incident, and were even told to clean it at once. So they did, and they hated every moment of the deed, as well as the company that they were in. Wendy also had to add insult to injury by taking delight in her invite to the ball. It would give her an opportunity to sew a new dress and indulge in finer things, claimed she, though Natsu still took no pleasure in the thought of that bastard prince taking her hand in marriage. He would not let that happen.

With that in mind, he flexed his muscles all the way to the east side of Fairy Lake, where stood the prince from earlier. The moon caught this man quite well, and he had even bothered to dress for the occasion. From plumed hat to breeches he was the picture of a creep looking for a fight, or perhaps that was just Natsu's bias, for no threat of treason could keep him from this battle with this man. He had an idea of what slept beneath the bangles and the bullshit, and he liked what he saw.

"I had begun to think you would not come, filth," said the prince, tossing his hat aside. Natsu's face dressed itself with a confident grin, and he slammed his fist into his palm with fervor.

"And I'm surprised you have clothes on, pervert."

"Still your tongue, beast! I am no pervert," said he whilst discarding his overfrock. "I am crown prince of the Magnolia Kingdom and a mage in the art of ice make. You would do well not to attempt to disgrace me with your foul and worthless babble, if you value your life, that is."

"Ah, shut up, you stripping scum sucker. Quit yapping and start slapping, or you'll be dead long before you're done being an arrogant pile of crap."

"An arrogant pile of crap, am I? Please, do not mistake me for the likes of you. Prepare to eat your words, dreck!"

"Come at me, birthday suit."

By the time their fists collided Gray was down to one cravat, which he kept to prove a moot point, because the only other clothing he managed to keep on were his breeches and the undergarments beneath. All else flew. His plumed hat floated in the lake like a little boat which a frog had jumped into. What this frog bore witness to was an exchange most bright and fierce, which frightened the poor thing into soiling the hat.

Natsu had pulled out all the stops with no regard to the splendor of this beautiful, open space. He dosed the plant life in flames coming after the prince, who was as quick as he was sharp. He transformed his ice into cannons, whose balls bore holes into every bit of ground Natsu once stood. Then at once the fire mage used his command of flames to propel him from the singed ground to the open air from which the ice mage stood upon a frozen pillar and was firing cannons. He pummeled that pillar upon which Gray stood, and when Gray hopped from his pillar he made fifty-someodd daggers from his ice in and effort to pin Natsu to the closest tree. Natsu turned just in time to see those daggers fly, and breathed fire toward them so to destroy them before their target could be reached. It worked, and then they were both on the ground, already in a fit of panting.

"You are not bad, that is, for a complete waste of my good time and company," said Gray through his labored breaths, and he was smiling as though it were his first in ages, and Natsu had to admit that he found the prince's smile quite charming.

"You talking because there's no more fight in you, you pompous prick?" said Natsu, assuming his next fighting position. He too was giddy as a steed with a bushel of apples, and Gray appreciated this fervor. It was like nothing he had ever experienced in his training, not even against Lyon, by whom he was always defeated. And though Lyon was every bit as overconfident and shit eating as this monstrous salamander, he did not glow with satisfaction over the art of battle, nor did he exchange good-natured gloating. He was just bored, bored, bored, and that would dampen Gray's enthusiasm considerably.

Call this exchange of blows a breath of fresh air. Gray was evenly matched against his elemental weakness, making him the superior of the two intellectually, though that went without saying. He was a prince, and this boy was a commoner, though for a civilian he had an uncanny battle sense that would make him an asset to the military for sure. Gray proceeded to form a broadsword from his ice, and Natsu surrounded his fists in flames, and once again they had come in contact magic to magic. The sword had begun to melt, and the flames had begun to cool, and the two stood in pushing and pushing the limits of their reserves, both broken into sweat and gleaming in the light of Natsu's flame.

This did not cease until they were both drained. Gray's sword had become a puddle, and Natsu's fists were doused, and all they could do was exchange fists. Natsu's fists flew wherever, having no regard for visible bruising. He seemed to have no qualms about being charged with treason over this, though in such an event Gray would fight tooth and nail to have him freed, even if he had to press a dagger to his own neck to get his point across. Mother, father, Lyon, Erza, Laxus, all of them. They needed to realize that the art of combat coursed through Gray's veins more than his own blood, and to be stifled by trifles such as marriage and governing, why, it would simply waste him away.

By the time he and Natsu were finished exchanging fists, Gray landed one just hard enough to knock his wild opponent down once and for all. He fell also, upon Natsu's exposed chest no less. Really, he was one to talk of revealing wear, for he wore about as much as Gray did at this point in time, which admittedly was not much, but at least his breeches were not lost. That was a good thing.

"The fight is mine," said Gray, in voice cracked by exuberant exhaustion.

"Like hell it is. You can't move anymore than I can, moron."

"He who deals the final blow is called victor."

"If those are your terms," said Natsu, bopping Gray in the skull with the all force of a breeze. "Then there's the final blow and I'm the winner."

"You cannot win by turning my own words about your tongue to suit your needs, you biased, bumbling fool."

"Yeah, well you can't even scoot inch enough to pry yourself from my chest."

Gray's cheeks flushed, and though he was quite comfortable where he had landed, that was no excuse to be outdone. He scooted inch enough that his cheek reached the ground about Natsu's shoulder, though he did nothing to retract the arm he had splayed across his opponent's chest. The other man minded not, because he had placed his hand upon Gray's exposed spine and warmed it. It was then that Gray realized his heart was still pounding, but the battle adrenaline had worn off, and all that was left was this moment with this person who excited and delighted him.

"What might you be called? Other than beast and dreck of course," said Gray, whispering his question onto Natsu's skin. He could feel the other man's body burn beneath his arm, his breath, and his words, but when he turned to face Gray he was smiling as though this were the most fantastic moment in all of his life.

"Natsu, son of Igneel. I hunt for a living, and reside on the north side of this lake on the fringe of the kingdom."

"Well, Natsu, son of Igneel. I am certain that I do not have to introduce myself; however, I will say this-" Gray reached around to take Natsu's hand in his and sighed in a most content manner. His hair tickled the nape of Natsu's neck. "-I have never had such a wonderful time in all of my eighteen years. Thank you."

"H-hey, you challenged me and I took you up on it. No big deal," said Natsu, and at this moment his heart had begun to pound. For a man whose magic was based in ice, Gray felt incredibly warm pressed to his side. Not only that, but he couldn't help but pull the other man closer to himself. There was a part of Natsu that never wanted this moment to end, and truly up until this moment he had never seen Gray as anymore than an opponent. No title of royalty had any bearing on their match.

Gray's grand title would have bearing on matters of the heart, however much his heart chose to defy even that, at least for the moment. There was no mistaking how close they pressed together. It was an uncanny fit, and though they barely knew one another, their fists told a great story. They were both pent up in their respective homes, and they both needed an outlet. They were also chained to their social classes, one being a prince, the other a peasant. On this night, at this moment, none of that mattered. Natsu laced his fingers with Gray's, and Gray turned his head up to catch a glimpse of this man's face.

"You are radiant," he said, and he took his free hand and played with Natsu's cheek. In return, Natsu rolled his beaten body on its side so that he might face the prince directly, and the two of them kissed as the moon bathed them in splendid light.

TBC

**A/N:** OK guys, here's the deal. I'm not dead. This fic and Gladys shall go on, though it might be a bit slow-going. I'm having (hopefully) minor health-related issues, and my job's eating more of my life than it should. It was also Christmas and my birthday and blah blah. I'm 24 now, wooo, that means NOTHING! XD But whatever. I'll at least try to post the chapters of this that are already completed just to tide you all over. I've also got a nearly completed smut fic that I'll be posting on AO3 eventually. I'll let you all know about that when I do.

Anyway, Happy New Year, everyone! Thanks for your support.


	4. Tryst by Night

**Title:** Salamander and the Naked Prince

**Author:** Risa

**Pairing:** Natsu/Gray, Gazille/Levy, Erza/Jellal, Lyon/Juvia, possibly others

**Rated:** T

**Disclaimer:** Fairy Tail is Mashima's and this is a bit of a Cinderella ripoff, but whatevs.

**Summary:** Every maiden in the land is called forth to attend his highness Prince Gray's ball. Now, this shouldn't have anything to do with Natsu, an orphan that lives and hunts on the outskirts of the kingdom, but when he should chance to meet this dashing ice prince then everything regarding Gray suddenly becomes his business.

**A/N:** You know what's better than a good fairy tale? A good Fairy Tail fairy tale. With lots of hot, naked, ripped male bodies rubbing against one another. Dohohohoho. Enjoy!

**FOUR:** Tryst by Night

Four landmarks were pocked by weapons that no longer were, and fire that had long since burned out. Each landmark took damage by night, and nobles and commoners alike brought complaints to the castle of two unruly mages with no respect for the splendor of their otherwise beautiful kingdom. Lyon sent a few of his men to investigate these findings, and there was reason to suspect that the pock marks had come from Gray, as they were shapes and disregard that matched his style.

That was not all. Lyon noticed that Gray was suddenly sleeping later, his spirits were at their highest, and by and far the most telling was his sudden control of his habit. Two nights he had come to dinner with pants on, and once even with his undershirt. Food had almost disgracefully fallen from the mouths of he and mother upon witness to this sudden change, and though father was simply grateful for Gray's efforts, mother and Lyon knew that it wasn't that simple. Gray was, for lack of a better term, happy.

The conversation of marriage was never risen, so he managed to keep his tongue still on matters that were a bother to him. What's more, Gray had shown unprecedented progress in his training. There was something that did not add up. Some element had gone over all of their heads, and Lyon was determined to find out what that was. He could easily deduce that Gray had been sneaking out at night. He could also deduce that he had been meeting with a fire mage, as the singed ground suggested. He guessed that the fire mage in question was male, possibly a male that Gray was attracted to, though his guesses strayed from evidence and into the land of hunches, which would grant him nothing.

He called upon Erza Scarlet who would meet him in the throne room, a stuffy room at best that not even his parents could be bothered with unless they had important business. Lyon would also have no reason to bother with it if he could help it, but Gray was growing stronger at an alarming rate, and Lyon simply could not stand to be held in the captivity of his own title, or so he gave as his reason to hide his true weakness. Though battle did not thrill him the way it thrilled Gray, there could only be one way of things. The eldest was naturally the strongest, and the strongest would suit the military best.

He also had a promise to keep. He had failed to protect their half-sister, Ultear, a woman hidden from public eye so not to blemish the good queen's name, among other reasons. It was done for her safety and her privacy more than anything, but she wanted her mother to know her love and devotion to the kingdom by serving in the military, and she had been assigned to Lyon's flank unbeknownst to their relation, or it never would have happened. Her life ended in tragedy, for you see, Lyon's tactics were sound on that horrible day, but there was always risk. No one that goes into battle is assured a safe return. That being said, Lyon was injured in battle, and in a pool of his own blood he watched Ultear die before his eyes. He had been so devastated that he was prepared to die in that battle honoring her that day, though he had already ordered retreat.

Another woman in his flank by the name of Sherry manipulated the ground such that it pulled their bodies out of harm's way before the remaining soldiers bearing down on them could finish them off completely. All else faded out of memory, because by the time Lyon had come to Ultear was already dead, and he was consumed by grief. He had promised mother that he would protect her, and he failed. She did not blame him for even a second, for it was within her kind and optimistic nature to simply know the way of things. Her sadness continued to hang her like a noose, as did Lyon's.

Gray barely knew of Ultear, so he was the first to recover from the shock of the tragedy by far. He did not understand the horrors of war, yet he was determined to surpass Lyon in strength and fight. He was a fool. And although Gray would despise him, Lyon would stop at nothing to protect his younger brother from these horrors. It was better to be despised than bear witness to the death of one he loved dearly once more. Perhaps Gray would understand half a century down the line when Gray was as his name suggested.

So Lyon would have put an abrupt halt to these trysts with that fire mage. It was for his own good.

"At your service, my liege," said Erza Scarlet, on her knee before the general.

"Excellent timing, Erza Scarlet. I have gathered less than subtle evidence to suggest that Gray has been sneaking out at night and seeing some fire mage."

"You must be joking." She flexed her gauntlet clad fingers in ire. "I thought I showed that little menace what's for."

"You know who my dear brother is meeting with? How came this about?" said Lyon. He was prickled in perspiration, for he thought he could rely on Erza to stop this undaunted. But if she had some knowledge of this little relationship already then it possibly meant that she had harbored some sort of... affection toward the fire mage herself. After all, if Titania had truly showed that rat "what's for" he would not be meddling in Prince Gray's life. Yet another piece of this mystery reared its ugly head.

"He is but a village fool that goes by the name Natsu, son of Igneel. I asked about, in case he should trouble his highness again."

"And what is this 'Natsu, son of Igneel''s relationship with my brother?"

"As of this moment, I regret to say that I do not know," said Erza, bowing her head in shame. Then she rose her intense brown eyes and pressed on. "I will say this. That troublesome Natsu flew into his highness's carriage out of nowhere. I reached back to apprehend him at once, but his highness told me to stand down, so I followed orders. Not moments after had that Natsu attempted to engage in battle with his highness, which I put a stop to despite orders. I have since reported that instance to his majesty with not one detail omitted, and he condoned my conduct, even if it was arguably treasonous."

"Arguably treasonous or not, your actions were correct. Gray is a most troublesome brat. Now, may I trust you to make the right decision one more time?"

"Sir!"

"Gray will most likely sneak out again. You are to trail him, apprehend the fire mage who takes his council nightly by any means necessary, and bring Gray back in one piece, of course. Mother and myself will take on the duty of putting the crown prince in his place."

Erza rose and brought her iron fist to her armored chest. "As you wish, your highness."

"Very good. You are dismissed."

* * *

Natsu was pink in the ears with passion over Gray. His mind reasoned that only this moment in time mattered, the nights where he was free to shower that wild prince in all the fire, fists, and kisses the man could possibly want, and each tryst seemed to last longer than the next, though it felt as though they ended as soon as they began. The previous night they were reminded to untangle their limbs when that blasted sun decided to make itself known over the horizon.

Each new day that passed brought them one day closer to when this would all have to end, and he could already feel the strain in his heart. In three days time the prince would have his ball, choose his future wife, and all would be as it supposedly should. Natsu did not agree, and as each day passed he came closer to raising the topic. After all, he did not want to lose Gray. Though they had only just met, they satisfied so much in one another. They communicated through battle, and learned much about improving their skills through their rivalry. And when they were tired and running out of insults, Natsu had to look no farther than Gray's eyes to find a boundless expanse of love. He wondered if Gray saw the same in his own eyes. He ought to, in any case.

Natsu and Gray chose the east side of Fairy Lake again, because people were beginning to complain. Who cared if a patch of land already battle marked got another taste of action? Also, it was symbolic. Natsu was going to tell Gray in this spot where they had come to love each other that his heart belonged to him, and his obligation to choose a wife in three days time was unacceptable, as he was sure Gray already knew.

Speaking of which, the prince arrived in nothing more than his boots and breeches, which cut down on the strip show. Instead of coming at him guns blazing, though, Gray pulled Natsu into a longing kiss that stole his breath. Natsu's fingers curled about the ice mage's jaw, and his tongue worked its way into the other man's mouth, lapping that hot tongue like it were a savory dessert. Normally it was, but tonight it seemed this would be the main course. Natsu's blood burned and shot through his veins like wildfire, and he could feel himself melt beneath his prince. He would do anything to keep this taste and this warmth forever.

Then tenderly the prince crushed him into a hug, and Natsu returned it, not to be outdone. His prince smelled of gardens and winter, though his uncanny warmth felt of sunshine and longing. They belonged together as two oblong pieces of a puzzle should, but they also had a reality to face. One was royal, the other a rat. One was male, the other male as well. And though Natsu was none the wiser, Gray had always known his own training at the castle was as intense as an afternoon nap. It was done to purposefully keep his power from rivaling Lyon's, thus chaining him to the throne. That man was the real problem, and had no real reason to refuse the throne as far as Gray knew, but there was little he could do to end of course of things now.

"Oh Natsu, I would give up all the things in this ridiculous world if it meant I could love you freely," said Gray, and where there was a ring of truth to his words, it was hard to say whether or not he would act upon them. Natsu understood the value of big words. There was potential behind them, and he wanted to believe with every ounce of his heart that there was some way he and the prince could be together, but only one idea came to mind.

"Then let's use the night as our cover and run away from this land for good. You have a brother, right? What do they need you for?"

"Do not tempt me. I understand that my responsibilities are great and many, and Lyon is a coward who can probably not be trusted. He is crushed by the weight of his current duties and past mistakes as is, and firmly believes himself to be unfit. I agree with my parents in that I should succeed the throne; however, I do not wish to marry, though this nation cannot do without a queen apparently."

"Why not?" said Natsu, tearing himself from Gray's wonderful arms. "If your parents are in charge then why can't they change that stupid rule? It's not like this is a democracy!"

"You are correct, but at the same time a monarchy has its complications as well. Nobility would be in an uproar over defiling traditions. Kings of the past have been assassinated, or dethroned for rocking the boat, if you will. I neither wish to die, nor be excommunicated from the country that I love. Perhaps I am just being selfish."

"Damn right you are!" Natsu punched Gray clear across the cheek, knowing not how else to express his sorrow. "What the hell did you keep calling me out for? Are you just trying to fuck around for self-satisfaction at my expense before you go off and live miserably with some wife you don't even want. Fuck you! Maybe being a coward runs in your family."

"I... I deserved that," said Gray, his tone as broken as he was inside. His cheek throbbed with Natsu's sorrow. "Between my brother and I, I am the bigger coward. As things are currently going, Lyon will have everything that he wants, and I... no, WE will be the ones to suffer. I will no longer stand for this. Very well, Natsu. If you propose we run away, then let us go while the night is young."

"Oy, don't go making sudden decisions," said Natsu, stunned that his prince was swayed so easily into defecting. Though he couldn't claim to understand much about royalty, Natsu did know that a ruler didn't just up and leave his country when things weren't going his way. Perhaps he was the one being unfair, writing off Gray's dilemma as mere cowardice. He was just so raw and full of new and overwhelming love for this man, why, he couldn't imagine his life without him. It was completely crazy to put this much stock in a man he had only just met, but every part of Natsu knew it was the right thing for both of them to be together no matter what.

Meanwhile, Erza hung back in the shadows listening to this exchange, and it was at the point where Gray had called himself 'selfish' that she had lost herself to quiet tears. Was following Lyon's orders really the right thing to do? Certainly she could not allow Gray to leave the country, and if that was the decision that they came to she would of course put an end to it. She should have put an end to it before they could utter so much as hello to one another knowing how it would impact her emotionally. Even so, Gray was not just a man she served. He was a dear friend of hers, and all she ever wanted for him was safety and happiness. If he had to sever ties with this Natsu, it was possible that his happiness would be gone forever. Surely Erza couldn't allow that, but paradoxically she could not allow this tryst to continue either.

She gripped the hilt of her sword, swallowed, and prayed that Gray would forgive her.

TBC

**A/N:** Wow, I am a complete dipshit. Time is evil and gets away from me. I probably would have let this chapter sit and stew if I didn't find Moonlight-MidnightYaoi's review in my inbox. That was a total "OH YEAH... shit..." kind of moment. How the hell is it almost June anyway? Take it from Risa: never work 40 hours a week on grave shift, if you can help it. Life has a way of disappearing on you. It's also bad for your thyroid. Welp, anyway. I hope you enjoyed!


	5. Caught

**Title: **Salamander and the Naked Prince

**Author:** Risa

**Pairing:** Natsu/Gray, Gazille/Levy, Erza/Jellal, Lyon/Juvia, possibly others

**Rated:** T

**Disclaimer:** Fairy Tail is Mashima's and this is a bit of a Cinderella ripoff, but whatevs.

**Summary:** Every maiden in the land is called forth to attend his highness Prince Gray's ball. Now, this shouldn't have anything to do with Natsu, an orphan that lives and hunts on the outskirts of the kingdom, but when he should chance to meet this dashing ice prince then everything regarding Gray suddenly becomes his business.

**FIVE:** Caught

When last our attentions were on this woeful tale, newly established lovers Natsu and Gray were discussing their admittedly few options, this time with words and not so much with fists. One was but the son of a dragon, or so he claimed, who lived as a humble civilian on the fringe of their small kingdom with two others. The other was crown prince of this kingdom, and he would be forced to ascend the throne after years of fighting it. Or rather, his true problem was that he would be forced to marry, as it was decreed in the establishment of the Kingdom of Magnolia that the crown prince must take a wife before his ascent, thereby enabling him to produce a legitimate heir to keep the bloodline pure.

But Prince Gray was not the least bit interested in women, and his family was not the least bit interested in his plight, for he was the only one "suited" to ascend the throne, or so he was told. This was, after careful consideration, a load of hogwash. But for his cowardice Lyon did know the art of command and authority more than Gray, and he had no disgraceful stripping habits. With some will and effort he would be a successful king, and he certainly never complained of ladies as Gray had, so taking a wife ought not to be an issue for him.

The more time Gray spent out of his cage, the more he knew the life of a king suited himself even less than his brother. And he would fight him every step of the way. Gray might have been born into royalty, but he was no tool to be tinkered with. He was as human as his subjects, and he found it near impossible to just let go of his desires so to supposedly make people happy. The topic of legitimate heirs was mere politicking and squabbles among nobles. If Gray were free to ascend without marriage, he would remind those chittering chimps who the boss is.

But enough of that. Gray was apt to choose a wife in three nights time. It was custom for a male heir to choose any lady in the land, regardless of upbringing, though high class women were preferred for their riches. Gray desired no part in this debacle, though the entire town painted him as the most eligible bachelor who welcomed but every maiden with arms wide open.

He only had room in his arms for this lovely fire mage who had literally come crashing into his world, though.

"Natsu, I have time and again tried to reason with my family. Not once have I ever desired a wife, and not once have they received notion that perhaps I could be the first queenless successor. I find myself divided between their desires and my own. As a member of the royal family I really ought to disregard my own desires, for once I am king my only obligation is to this land. But I am not strong enough to make that commitment, and frankly neither is my brother. It is but a tug-of-war, and one of us will lose. Since I have no one on my side, I am at a disadvantage. I do apologize for getting you involved."

"Don't apologize, stupid!" said Natsu, and Gray braced himself for another swing at his cheek that never came. "That's like being sorry that you feel the way you do about me, and that's not right! And don't say that you have no one on your side. What about me? Quit making excuses and stop letting these bastards walk all over you, moron! And if I ever meet this brother of yours I'll be sure to beat him within an inch of his life for being such a roaring sack rot!"

Gray couldn't help but laugh out loud, for the only person in the world who ever dared to call the great general shitpants a "roaring sack rot" was he himself. Sadly his mirth was brought to an end at once, when a flash of red darted from the wood, and before his mind could process the sudden addition to their company Erza's iron fist was bedded into Natsu's gut. He had been knocked unconscious before his eyes could even catch up.

"Erza, what is the meaning of this? Who sent you?" demanded the prince. He was foremost concerned with Natsu's health, for he knew those bare hands of hers alone were lethal, never mind the devastation they could cause with a weapon or nine. He took note of a tear line drying against her cheek, though that concerned him little, because she was always able to act against her personal feelings if need be. She was strong in every conceivable way. That was why father took her in.

"Do not concern yourself with that, highness. This fool has just threatened your brother and must be taken into custody for treason."

"Do not even think it!" said Gray, his magic twitching beneath his frozen fingers like a cannon whose fuse was newly lit. "Do not deign to charge him so high as treason. You know he will be hanged."

"Perhaps it is for the best," said Erza, her voice devoid of feeling. She could not possibly mean that for even a moment. Gray knew her well, but he also would not put it past her to do what she honestly felt was best for the sake of her prince and their kingdom. "He has been but a distraction to your grace, and his arrest was already ordered for property damage anyway."

"By whom? I demand you tell me. You have a sworn duty to answer to _me_ above all! Or would you betray me, and force me to charge _you_ with treason?"

"With all due respect, highness, my sworn duty is only to _protect_ you. I do not _answer_ to you before higher authority until you have become a higher authority which, might I remind you, is fast approaching. Though you choose to have clandestine relations with some barbaric oaf," said she, as she thoughtlessly swung Natsu about by his vest as though he were some sort of doll. This enraged Gray to the point where he slammed his fist into her jaw. She did not block it as he knew she could, because he would have broken his fingers on her gauntlets if she had, so she would accept the bruised cheek and the sore neck to come.

"You are certainly one to talk. To this day you continue to pine after that convicted felon, do you not?"

"That... that is absurd!" said Erza, and now there was a crack in her countenance. It served her right, as far as Gray was concerned.

"Do not call my Natsu a barbaric oaf and wish to have your own demons concealed. You fucking hypocrite. I will have you excommunicated the moment I am forced to marry and ascend as my first order of business if one hair on Natsu's head is harmed. If he is charged with treason I cannot be held accountable for the misery I bring to your life, and Lyon's as well, for I know he is the one behind all of this and I will have a word with him."

"You are being most unreasonable, and unbearable," said Erza, and then she sighed. She had not for a moment defied orders. Natsu was in her custody, and Gray was before her now. Perhaps Natsu's sentence could be but a slap on the wrist, and any suggestion of his affiliation with the prince could be covered up. Anything that would get her tenacious highness to cooperate. "Very well. My orders were to arrest Natsu and bring you back to the castle. Please cooperate, for once he is out of my hands I cannot guarantee Natsu's safety if you refuse to return with me."

"Do not make threats, for my patience is as thin as black ice."

"It always is."

So that was that. Gray deeply regretted this, but per Erza's request he cooperated and followed her back to the castle. He would be going back whether he liked it or not anyway, because he could not fight her, especially while she carried Natsu. She had already shown blatant disregard for him by swinging him about before his eyes. It simply was not right. How could she? Erza's sworn duty was to protect him, but what exactly was she protecting him from here? Certainly not heartbreak.

But he couldn't help but take the smallest bit of comfort in the weight his malice-laden words had on her heart. She was reluctant to side with the royal family, because if anyone knew how he must have felt, it was her. She still harbored feelings for a man that had been sentenced to exile two years ago. It was hard to associate the crimes committed to that man who had once been fiercely loyal to their family. She certainly did not believe it, even to this day. Nevertheless, she avoided the topic, and with good reason. It was her ultimate weakness.

"I want your word that no harm will come to Natsu. Not his body, nor his reputation."

"Sadly, I cannot promise that," said Erza.

"Bullshit! You are a person of tremendous might. Why do you refuse to promise? Why do you betray my trust in you?"

"For goodness sake, your highness. I only have so much power! And you know well that... _that_ man's might was even greater than my own, but that did not save him from his fate. What makes you so naive as to suggest that might alone will protect this fling of yours?"

"Because if Natsu is sentenced to anything that will harm him, or his reputation, I will take drastic measures to put a stop to it if I must. And if my own men are to turn on me, it is your sworn duty to protect me, is it not?"

"I... suppose it is," said Erza, and that was where the conversation had ended. You see, Gray could not reach for a solution that satisfied everyone at this time, and was forced to consider things that would make him unhappy. It was possible that he had to concede to his brother's wishes in the long run. It was possible that he was fated to a miserable, loveless life. But suddenly there were worse things that could happen, and he had to be sure that such things would not transpire.

**TBC**

**A/N:** I thought I'd update this fic if anyone needs a pick me up from recent events in the manga. Mashima's up to something, I think, and it could wind up being epic, or I might rage quit this manga and just stick with Naruto. We'll see what happens. I'll finish this and Gladys, though, definitely. It might be slow going, but we'll get there. Thanks for all the support and reviews, everyone!


End file.
